Babarinde, Jacob and Adesanya, Adesoji; Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies, 46
th ISOCARP Congress 2010
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Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies
Babarinde Jacob Adesanya Adesoji
A PRE-INTERVENTION SITUATION ANALYSIS
Ibadan (Nigeria)
Ibadan is the capital of Oyo State in Nigeria. Its exact population is not known, in spite of the national census of 1991 (Fourchard, undated). However, current population estimates of the city vary from 3 to 5 million inhabitants. Ibadan is a city that is growing amorphously and characterised by traditional slums and spontaneous slums (Agbola, 1987 and Abumere, 1987). It is heavily overcrowded and the environment is largely degraded. In terms of its spatial spread, Ibadan sprawls over a radius of 12-15 km and it is still expanding uncontrollably, due to rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation. Most parts of the city, particularly the inner core and south-eastern section, are unplanned and lack basic facilities due to the inability of municipal governments to keep pace with the level of infrastructure needs and the speed of growth. The need to make Ibadan sustainable has resulted in several interventions in recent years, including the renewal or upgrading of some slums in the city and the participation of the city in the Sustainable Cities Programme among others.
Critical environment-development problems affecting Ibadan include:
• Inadequate provision and management of environmental infrastructure – poor access to potable water, unstable electricity supply and haphazard physical development which constrains the provision of facilities.
• Poor waste collection and management: wastes often block drain roads, waterways and the stench from dumpsites cause severe air and water pollution.
• Flooding due to the invasion of flood plains by through illegal buildings and construction, inadequate storm drains, acute deforestation and poor solid waste management which have resulted in perennial floods; and
• High health risks due to poor water supply, inadequate and unreliable refuse collection services, water pollution, overcrowding, and flooding among others.
World Bank Supported Urban Renewal Scheme
At the instance of then Ibadan Metropolitan Planning Authority in conjunction with Oyo State Ministry of Lands and Housing, a World Bank assisted urban renewal scheme was considered for implementation in 1988. This move, however, was preceded by a pilot study commissioned in 1984 by the World Bank to the Town Planning Division of the Ministry of Local Government of Oyo State and called Upgrading of Core Areas: A Report on 3 Areas in Ibadan for Word Bank Pilot Project (Fourchard, undated).
Babarinde, Jacob and Adesanya, Adesoji; Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies, 46
th ISOCARP Congress 2010
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Sustainable Ibadan Project (SIP)
Since several conventional urban planning and management strategies actually failed in addressing the environmental and physical development problems in Ibadan, new approaches were explored, such as the Sustainable Cities Programme (SCP). The SCP itself is a joint initiative of the UN Habitat (United Nations Centre for Human Settlements) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). It was launched in August 1990, as a component of the Urban Management Programme. The SCP is guided by the principle of widespread participation by stakeholder groups in the public, private and community/popular spheres, such that they can have improved abilities and capacities for environmental planning and management (UNCHS 1996). The Sustainable Ibadan Project (SIP) is a component of the SCP.
The creation of the SIP was preceded by a request from the Oyo State Government in February
1991 to include Ibadan in its SCP. Following the signing of a project document in April 1994,
SIP became one of the 12 cities in the world selected for the demonstration of the SCP.
Consequently, the City Forum/Consultation adopted the “Ibadan Declaration” focusing on three
priority cross-cutting environmental issues for SIP: waste management, water supply and the
Institutionalisation of the Environmental Planning and Management (EPM).
The Essex–Parc Nuvo Condominium Complex, Etobicoke, Toronto
Before any development activity ever took place on this condominium (condo for short) project
site more than six years ago, the site used to be an ordinary, open green area where there were
no legitimate structures at all. However, negotiations had to be entered into by Delsuites (the
developer) and Toronto City Council, regarding the consummation of appropriate sale and
purchase agreements concerning the types of development that could sail through the planning
permission process envisaged for that prime, inner-city location.
The Rijswijk Zuid Master-Planned Community, Netherlands
As far as the character of Rijswijk Zuid (pronounced Ricerike South) was concerned, the project
area felt loosely, almost ‘unDutch’ (UPAT Report, 2009), due to its informal character when
compared with the better designed and planned abutting areas. It was an area located within a
highly urbanized agglomeration, yet it exhibited a vague connectivity and ambiguous identity.
The UPAT was not sure of its exact link to the remaining area, while the quality of management
of its infrastructure, parks and canals was deemed to fall below standard. If the City of Rijswijk
and Rijswijk Zuid were blessed with important landmarks and a robust history, the organization
and quality of land uses in this project area left much to be desired.
Rijswijk Zuid was essentially a buffer zone approved by the Dutch Government as part of a
national policy and planning instrument designed to prevent urban areas from becoming large
agglomerations. Over time, the changing functions of Rijswijk Zuid from research to
greenhouses, which were too small for any meaningful economic exploitation encouraged the
City of Rijswijk to commence a planning process in 2007.
Babarinde, Jacob and Adesanya, Adesoji; Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies, 46
th ISOCARP Congress 2010
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Plate 1: All existing structures are now being demolished. Source: Rijswijk Zuid Project Team, June 2010.
INTEGRATED SUSTAINABILITY AS A KEY CONCEPT
Based on our knowledge of pre-intervention project-site conditions, and considering the theme of the 46th ISOCARP Congress, we would like to condense some earlier definitions and define sustainability as follows:
“Development that involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity, in the long term, through an explicit coordinated approach to corporate performance not against a single, financial bottom line but against the triple bottom line, while ensuring some degree of openness and flexibility in the face of changing circumstances. The attributes of sustainability include, balance, diversity,
ecology, flexibility, holism, integration, variety, symbiosis and systems”.
Fig.1 An Integrated View of Sustainability Source: http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/Indicators/WhatIs.html, 12/05/2010
Babarinde, Jacob and Adesanya, Adesoji; Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies, 46
th ISOCARP Congress 2010
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INTERVENTION STRATEGIES IN THE SELECTED CASE STUDIES
World Bank Supported Urban Renewal Scheme
The employed consultants for the new study of 1988 selected three neighbourhoods in Ibadan, namely; Mokola, Agugu and Yemetu (Akinyode, 1998). Mokola is a layout area created and partly developed by the British colonial administration. Agugu is a relatively new peripheral part of Ibadan, while Yemetu is located in the inner part of the city. It is noteworthy that the physical plan for urban renewal consisted of providing street lights, tarred roads, public toilets, drainage, refuse disposal sites and resettlement sites. About 62,000 people were supposed to benefit from the project. After the evaluation, the project started in 1989 and was completed in 1995.
Sustainable Ibadan Project (SIP)
One of the key innovations about the SIP involves the procedures and processes associated
with stakeholders’ involvement throughout the project implementation cycle. The participatory
process continues even after the completion of various projects. Indeed, completed projects are
managed by the Project Management Committee and Community Development Associations.
The SIP has a Steering Committee comprising government officials, representatives of the
private sector, NGOs and the traditional ruling class. To date, some of the relevant projects and
activities of SIP are shown in Table 1.
Table 1: SIP Projects and Activities and Related Stakeholders
Working Groups and their focus Activities and the concerned SWGs and CWGs
Bodija Market Area Environmental Improvement • Bodija market toilet improvement SWG
• Bodija market waste management SWG
• Bodija market women-children SWG
• Bodija market roads and drainage improvement SWG
• Bodija market food safety SWG
• Bodija market water supply SWG
Ibadan Waste Recycling -
Ibadan Water Supply • Ibadan deep wells/borehole development SWG
• Odo Ona/Gada water and sanitation CWG
• Ibadan mini water works development SWG
• Ibadan spring water supply WG
• Osun (former Odo Akeu) natural spring water
development CWG
• Rogan natural spring water development CWG
EPM -
Coordinating WG -
Mapping Technical Committee -
Source: SIP, Ibadan, June 2010
Babarinde, Jacob and Adesanya, Adesoji; Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies, 46
th ISOCARP Congress 2010
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Rijswijk Zuid, Netherlands
The two-plan proposals submitted to the City of Rijswijk in June 2007 by the ISOCARP Urban Planning Advisory Team (UPAT) for the development of Rijswijk Zuid were positioned withing Phase One of a 15-year planning process for the project. Activities surrounding building permits and actual real estate development have been planned to start in 2009 and end in 2025.
The UPAT considered the following planning concepts and principles, among others, in the planning process:
• Functionality - in terms of the new functions that the area should serve.
• Land use types - appropriate for the location and anticipated users, such as housing, office, shops and industry/warehouses.
• Urban form - consistent with Dutch urban design, ranging from typical 1950’s modernist to 1990’s ‘Vinex’ concepts or even the typical polder archetype.
• Citizen participation - to ensure that whatever the UPAT finally submitted to the City of Rijswijk would be supported by the ultimate users of the facilities, without which the proposals might be put to wrong use or even ignored.
• Character – The natural and cultural heritage of the area are great attributes that were preserved and enhanced for project sustainability.
• Compelling identity – The UPAT based the design of Rijswijk Zuid on two heritage concepts – the Sion Heritage Park and the Mondrian Tapestry.
In the revised Master Plan, the total project area has been reduced by the Rijswijk City authorities from 240 hectares to about 114 hectares. We do not know for sure the reasons behind this reduction, but we reckon that they may have to do with the need for the City to minimize the costs of land acquisition, compensation, assembly and formalisation of ownership.
Fig. 2: Rijswijk Zuid: Revised Master Plan, June 2010 Source: Project Team, City of Rijswijk
Babarinde, Jacob and Adesanya, Adesoji; Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies, 46
th ISOCARP Congress 2010
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At the end of the day, affordability, public participation and good quality construction are going to emerge as three key sustainability indicators for this project. There will be public participation during the implementation of the master plan. However, the main problem facing the project now is the economic crisis facing the nation.
The Essex- Parc Nuvo Condominium Complex, Etobicoke, Toronto
The new wave in Toronto is the idea of not having to use the car (any vehicle) to commute or go shopping, but instead take the subway. In fact, today, many condo owners do not even own a car any more (Lawlor, 2010). The new practice of building condominiums close to subway and/or bus routes is also consistent with Ontario’s Places to Grow legislation whose double goal is sustainability and a higher quality of life for those who live and work in those places. Building condos close to subways and bus routes also promotes the efficient and intensive use of existing public transportation facilities.
The Essex-Parc Nuvo condominium complex (a stone throw away from the Kipling subway station in Etobikoce) is an excellent example of new condos that are strategically situated in Toronto. Others include 5 St. Joseph and One Bloor Condos (at Yonge and Bloor Intersection), Merci Le Condo and The Bayview at Bayview and Sheppard Intersection, Pears on the Avenue at Avenue-Davenport Intersection and The Palm at Yonge-Finch Intersection, among others.
The Essex-Parc Nuvo condominium complex has a community master plan based on a tripartite Plan-Design-Create principle that is proactively expressed at every level of the condo community. Automobile access is easy and the subway and Go Transit are directly across the street. Bringing nature in touch with the Essex community through the design of parklands and generous landscaping, adds an important quality of living. According to the developer, the project enables a cohesive architecture that fits within the Etobicoke neighbourhood, in order to create an enduring sense of belonging.
There is one other important dimension to the condo location-transportation issue. Most people are now becoming more and more environmentally responsible and are accepting the reality that there is truly an alternative to driving a car. Other benefits that condo owners enjoy include the opportunity to exercise and the ease of taking public transportation, without the stress of driving. These benefits are consistent with the UN’s wake-up call for low carbon emission.
Babarinde, Jacob and Adesanya, Adesoji; Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies, 46
th ISOCARP Congress 2010
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Fig. 3: The Essex-Parc Nuvo Condominium Master Plan. Source: Del Sales Office, 2005 and www.del.com, 24/05/2010
EXPERIENCES, ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES
We present in the table below a summary of the experiences, achievements and challenges from the four case studies:
Table 2: Intervention experiences, achievements and challenges Case study Experiences Achievements Challenges
1. World Bank Urban
Renewal Project,
Ibadan, Nigeria
• 15 years on, several
issues are being
thrown up about
the effects and
sustainability of the
benefits of the
urban renewal
schemes. For
instance, Oyo State
• A vast majority of
the people
interviewed in the
selected areas
observed that
remarkable,
positive changes
have taken place
since the renewal.
• Initial
apprehension
because residential
buildings had to be
demolished for the
provision of new
roads, drainage
facilities, waste
collection facilities
Babarinde, Jacob and Adesanya, Adesoji; Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies, 46
th ISOCARP Congress 2010
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Water Corporation
(OSWC) has been
unable to supply
and distribute
water effectively to
the three renewal
areas. The renewal
plans were not
holistic and
probably exclude
some basic public
utility companies
such as the Water
Corporation.
• In the strictest
sense, the selected
areas for urban
renewal were not
clearly the worst
cases for urban
renewal. Mokola,
for instance, is
relatively well laid
out with better
facilities, when
compared with the
inner core of
Ibadan which is a
blighted and
terribly degraded
area.
• The need to
drastically cut
down on the cost
of renewal rather
than addressing the
gravity of problems
of slums informed
the choice of the
three urban
renewal sites.
Street lights have
been installed;
drainage and solid
waste collection
had improved
drastically,
particularly two
years, following the
completion of the
renewal schemes
(Akinyode, 1998).
In addition, access
or circulation has
been enhanced as a
result of road
widening and
tarring.
and open space for
recreation.
• 15 years on,
questions arise
about the effects
and sustainability
of the benefits of
the three urban
renewal schemes.
The renewal plans
excluded some
basic public utility
companies (Oyo
State Water
Corporation
(OSWC), which has
been unable to
supply and
distribute water
effectively to the
three renewal
areas.
• Installed
streetlights are still
being gradually
stolen in Mokola.
• There was undue
delay between
when the renewal
schemes were
conceived and the
final completion,
due partly to
continuous change
in state
administrative
machinery (ten
state civil and
military governors
during the period).
• Cutting down the
cost of renewal
rather than
addressing the
gravity of problems
of slums was given
priority.
2. Sustainable Ibadan
Project (SIP),
Ibadan, Nigeria
• The inclusion of
many stakeholders
has encouraged and
strengthened
partnerships among
them and this
promoted lasting
solutions to many
environmental
• Setting up of a
Resource Centre for
Environmental
Data/Information.
• Devising Waste
Management and
Water Supply
Strategies and
associated Action
• Poor, and
sometimes very
frustrating, level of
cooperation from
public agencies in
institutionalising
the EPM process
because it calls for
transparency and
Babarinde, Jacob and Adesanya, Adesoji; Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies, 46
th ISOCARP Congress 2010
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problems.
• Stakeholders are
able to choose
priority projects
based on
widespread
consultation and
have been in charge
of project execution
and sustenance.
• Inter-relationship
among stakeholders
from different
sectors has
enhanced access to
relevant
information.
• Resources for
implementation of
investment projects
become more
readily available.
• Enhancement of
performance
obligation such that
relevant agencies
that have embraced
the SCP/EPM
Process has
performed and even
received awards.
• The significance of
having adequate
data and
information for
planning purposes
is a key lesson
learnt. For
instance, the
Regional Centre for
training in
Aerospace Surveys
(RECTAS), Ile-Ife,
produced a
Topographic
“Digital Base Map
of Ibadan” for
decision makers,
engineers, urban
planners and
managers as well as
various map users.
The map revision
exercise was largely
for the SIP.
Plans.
• Mobilization of
various
stakeholders to deal
with identified
environmental
problems in Ibadan.
• Establishment of
Sustainable Ibadan
Project Trust Fund
(SIPTF) in June,
1996, to support
projects that show
clear evidence of
cost-sharing and
arrangements for
cost recovery.
• Initiating various
sustainable and
innovative
community-based
projects, such as the
organic fertilizer
plant in Bodija
Market, Osun and
Agbadagbudu
natural spring water
project, Ayekale
rain harvester and
several other on-
going projects.
accountability vis-
a-vis apathy by the
communities and
members of the
private sector to
Local Government
activities (Asamu,
2004).
• Inadequate
financial support
from the Local
Authorities (the
eleven LGs in
Ibadan Region),
especially in recent
years.
• Frequent changes
of government
have hampered
timely
implementation of
SIP projects. Each
new government
entailed
renegotiation or
reapproval of the
process and the
selection of the
project manager
became a political
issue.
• Generally, there
has been a sharp
decline in interest
on the part of the
relevant
stakeholders in
implementing SIP
programmes and
projects (Adesanya,
2000). Ibadan
North Local
Government
leadership from
1995 to 1998
refused to
participate in the
improvement
activities in Bodija
Market (Wahab,
1998).
• Lack of co-
ordination between
the stakeholders
and the different
levels of
Babarinde, Jacob and Adesanya, Adesoji; Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies, 46
th ISOCARP Congress 2010
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government and
even among local
governments.
3. Rijswijk Zuid,
City of Rijswijk,
Netherlands
• Public-private
funding.
• Capital intensive.
• Land area of 240
hectares.
• Target population
of 8000.
• 4000 new
housing units.
• Local and foreign
inputs by
planners.
• 2 design charrets
paved way for a
reviewed master
plan.
• A great learning
arena and team
work by senior
and junior
planners.
• A huge success.
• 0% completed,
but site assembly
has started.
• 0% occupancy.
• Mixed-use
development,
with large parks
for flexibility of
future revision.
• Excellent links
with The Hague
agglomeration.
• Project will
handle
population spill in
the region.
• Pollution and
decay associated
with the original
site have been
eliminated.
• Funding is
uncertain amidst
political changes.
• Full public
participation
must be earned.
• Polders are
unavoidable.
• Inter-municipal
squabbles (e.g.
Delft and
Rijswijk).
• UPAT of mainly
foreign planners
make repeat
visits by the team
and feedbacks
difficult. Hence
the on-going
review of the
Master Plan is
justifiable.
4. The Essex-Parc
Nuvo
Condominium
Complex,
Etobicoke,
Toronto
• An entirely
private venture.
• Capital intensive.
• Master-planned
community of
five towers.
• An agglomeration
of five occupied
(four existing)
towers with more
than 1,500 self-
contained,
luxurious
apartments.
• Local high-tech
contractors used
and retained for
long-term
maintenance.
• An innovative
condominium
housing project
in the heart of
• 4 out of 5 towers
already
completed.
• More than 80%
sold out.
• About 98%
resident
satisfaction.
• 100% resident
parking,
excluding visitor
parking.
• Excellent
property
management /
maintenance by
IT savvy property
professionals.
• 24-hour
concierge for
added safety.
• Location within
walking distance
from mass transit
According to
some Toronto
condo
developers, who
are generally not
happy with the
City Metropass
policy, the cost of
a year’s supply of
Metropasses will
be reflected in
unit prices, as
they consider the
policy wasteful.
This rule applies
to development
applications
submitted for
planning consent
after April 28,
2010, on condo
buildings with at
least 20 units at
some strategic
Babarinde, Jacob and Adesanya, Adesoji; Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies, 46
th ISOCARP Congress 2010
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Toronto. terminals (trains
and buses).
Under a new
Toronto City
policy, condo
developers will
have to include a
year’s supply of
Metropasses with
each new unit.
This is the carrot
that will get
people onto
public transit.
The new rule is a
trade-off for
condo
developments in
areas where
minimum parking
space
requirements
have been
lowered.
• Project
proactively
supports
Canada’s
multiculturalism
policy as all
residents and
visitors live in
harmony.
city locations.
Housing
agglomeration is
not matched by a
jobs-housing
balance for
reduced travel
times and costs
(Babarinde,
1995).
• Price-induced
turnover / resale
frequency is
significant.
• Lack of on-site
shopping
facilities.
• Concern of
residents for
unpredictable,
but infrequent,
fire alarms as the
superintendents
are not resident
on site.
• Insufficient visitor
parking is
worrisome to
residents with
more than one
car.
• Rising costs.
LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Several approaches exist for funding interventions aimed at addressing physical development and environmental improvements of cities. For example, stakeholders contributed in cash and kind for the implementation of SIP projects and chose priority projects based on widespread consultation. The public sector, through World Bank support, was largely responsible for financing the urban renewal schemes in Ibadan. Rijswijk Zuid is being implemented through public-private sector funding, while the Essex-Parc Nuvo Condominium Complex is an entirely private venture. Beyond this, inclusion of stakeholders has encouraged and strengthened partnership, for ensuring lasting solutions to environmental planning and management. Clearly,
Babarinde, Jacob and Adesanya, Adesoji; Interventions in Urban Management: Lessons for Selected Case Studies, 46
th ISOCARP Congress 2010
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these approaches are participatory and depart radically from the conventional top-bottom approaches to urban planning and management.
Urban redevelopment activities, which emphasise the principles of cost recovery and cost effectiveness, often result in project failure due to abject poverty (Onibokun, 1990). This should be factored into any redevelopment programme, as people are more willing to contribute more in kind than in cash in developing countries. In addition, interventions need to be holistic and the interest of stakeholders must be sustained.
References
Abumere, Sylvester (1987) “Urbanization and Urban Decay in Nigeria”, in Onibokun, Poju, Olokesusi, Femi and Egunjobi, Layi
(Eds), Urban Renewal in Nigeria, NISER, Ibadan.
Adesanya, Adesoji (2000) “Partnerships in the Planning and Management of Cities. A Case study of the Sustainable Ibadan
Project”, (SIP), NISER, Ibadan.
Agbola, Tunde (1994) “The prospect for private sector involvement in urban management functions in Nigeria”. Review of Urban and
Regional Development Studies 6: 135-149.
Akinyode, Babatunde Femi (1998) An appraisal of community improvement programmes (CIP) in developing countries: A Case
Study of Word Bank Assisted Urban Renewal Project in Ibadan. MURP Dissertation submitted to the University of Ibadan.
Asamu, Samuel Oyerogba (2004) “The Environmental Planning and Management Approach Towards the Development and
Management of the Osun Natural Spring Project, Ibadan, Nigeria”, GeoJournal 61: 183–189.
Babarinde, Jacob (1995) Industrial Migration and Residential Relocation Decisions in Metropolitan Lagos. PhD Thesis submitted to
the University of Ibadan.
Fourchard, Laurent (undated) “Understanding Slums: Case Studies for the Global Report on Human Settlements 2003”. Urban
Slums Reports: The case of Ibadan, Nigeria
Lawlor, Barbara (2010) “Location, location, transportation”, The Toronto Sun, June 4 & 6.
Onibokun,’ Poju (1990) “Poverty as a Constraint to Citizen Participation in Urban Redevelopment in Developing Countries: A Case
Study”, Urban Studies, Vol. 27, No.3, pp. 371-384.
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS) (1996), An Urbanizing World: Global Report on Human Settlements, Oxford
University Press, Oxford.
Wahab, Bolanle (1998) ‘The Roles of Community Heads and Opinion Leaders in the Implementation of the Urban Basic Services
Projects in Nigeria: the Case of Ibadan’ in Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (eds) Urban Management as a Strategy for Moving
Nigeria forward into the Next Millennium, Concept Publications Limited, Lagos.
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*Dr. Jacob Babarinde, MCIP, RPP, MRICS, works as a Consultant at JB Sustainability Consult in Ontario, Canada. He can be reached at [email protected]. Professor Adesoji Adesanya, MNITP, RTP, MCILT, works for NISER, Ibadan, Nigeria, as Director of Physical Development. He can be reached at [email protected].
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of all those establishments whose projects have been used as case studies in this paper and those individuals who have been helpful in one way or the other during the preparation of the paper.
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